3. Pure in Heart
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)
Today’s Reading: John 9:1-12
Practicing Purity
When Jesus talks about the "pure in heart," it can be challenging to grasp what he means at first. To understand, we can look at Psalm 24, where David asks:
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart..." (Psalm 24:3-4)
David's imagery comes from the Tent of Meeting, where priests had to purify themselves before approaching God. By the time Jesus preached the Beatitudes, this purity was still central to Jewish life, even expanding to food and daily practices. So, when Jesus said the pure in heart would "see God," it made sense. A pure heart creates clear sight. If you focus on seeking God, you'll start noticing Him everywhere. And when you share His peace and forgiveness with others, you'll experience the Kingdom of Heaven in real-time.
A Blind Man and a Dirty Situation
John 9 challenges this idea of purity in surprising ways. Jesus and his disciples encounter a man born blind, and the disciples' first question is, "Who's to blame for his blindness?" This might seem harsh, but it reflects how many people thought back then and even our mindsets now. In Jesus' time, hardship was often seen as a sign of sin, while health and success were signs of blessing.
But Jesus gives a revolutionary answer: this man's blindness isn't anyone's fault. Instead, God wants to use it to show His power.
Think about that. The struggles we feel define us—our failures, our addictions, our pain—are the very things God wants to use for His glory. This man had lived in darkness his whole life. He had never seen his family, surroundings, or even his own reflection. But Jesus shows his disciples that this man's darkness was meant to reveal the light.
Here's where the story gets wild. The man doesn't even ask Jesus to heal him. He's just sitting in his usual spot when Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud, and smears it on his eyes. What are we to do when we find ourselves in dirt we didn’t ask for? How does adding dirt to an already "dirty" situation help? Isn't purity about avoiding things like dirt?
Jesus is making a more significant point. While the world saw this man as dirty, Jesus saw his destiny. Sometimes when we find ourselves in a mess that isn’t of our own making, we have to trust that God is at work; that even if we didn’t ask for change, God is working to shake us out of our routine. Jesus, who exists as part of the Godhead, uses the same creativity with mud on a blind man's empty sockets that God did when he formed the first human out of the earth. Out of dirt, Jesus created for this man a new life of sight and purpose!
A New Way of Seeing
The real focus of John 9 isn't the miracle itself but how everyone reacts to it. The blind man immediately sees who Jesus is. Meanwhile, the religious leaders—who spent their lives striving for purity—are too blind to recognize God at work. They even put the healed man on trial, accusing him instead of celebrating his transformation.
At the end of the story, Jesus confronts them:
"Jesus said," For judgment, I came into this world so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind. Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind, too?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim to see, your guilt remains." (John 9:39-41)
This story flips the idea of purity on its head. True purity isn't about avoiding dirt or pretending we're clean—it's about admitting we need Jesus to cleanse us. It's about humility. When we feel stuck in life's messiness, Jesus can take that "dirt" and turn it into something beautiful. But if we're too proud to admit our need for Him, we'll miss out. A pure heart isn't perfect—it's humble. When we look for Christ in everything, even in life's challenges, we'll begin to see God everywhere.
*Video was edited and produced by David Tregde. Script and direction by Julius Shumpert.
Mackie, Tim. “This Is Who Experiences the Good Life (According to Jesus) • Visual Commentary.” YouTube, The Bible Project, 4 Mar. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9fR7sHw9Y8.
“John 9.” Holy Bible: New International Version, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 1984.
“Matthew 5.” Holy Bible: New International Version, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 1984.
Peterson, Eugene. “Matthew 5.” The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, Nav Press, Colorado Springs, CO, 2002.
